Spring-motor.



s. w. CHAMBERLAIN.

SPRING MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. I915.

1 274,243. Patented July 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS SHEET l.

H 18" E H mwwtoz Georye Wflzamberlaz'n QXHvwoow //1@ 5% 74% 6M 4 6mm,

G. W. (IHAMBEHLAIN.

SPRING MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 24. 1915 Patented July 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q/vi/tuwoco GEORGE W. CHAMBERLAIN, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

SPRING-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed September 24, 1915. Serial No. 52,436.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grocer. IV. CHAMBFR- PAIN, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring motors, the object in view being to produce a simple machine embodying a mimmum number of gears and any desired number of power storing springs combined in such a manner and so associated with a pair of gears that as one end of a power spring acts to'drive or turn one of the gears, the other gear is actuated and, being connected with the other end of the spring, serves to rewind the spring simultaneously with the unwindin thereof for the purpose of actuating the rst mentioned gear. By changing the ratio of the gears, greater or less power may be imparted to the counter or driven shaft of the motor according to the use to which the motor is to be put.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical section with parts in elevation through a motor embodying the present invention taken in line with the main or winding shaft which is shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the use of a plurality of springs.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the motor, with a portion of the frame broken away to show the pawl and ratchet elements.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken close to one of the springs.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the spring housings and the parts connected thereto.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates the frame of the motor which may be of any desired formation, the same being shown in the form of a metal strap bent to provide a substantially open center rectangular frame. A casing 2 may be connected to the frame 1 and made of proper size and shape to inclose the operative elements of the mechanism hereinafter described, said casing being indicated in Fig. 3.

The motor of this invention embodies essentially a main central spring winding shaft 3 which is journaled in hearings in the frame 1 and which is shown as having one end thereof s uared at 4: to receive a hand operated win in crank 5. Adjacent to one end the shaft 3 has a ratchet wheel 6 fast thereon which is engaged by a pawl 7 pivotally mounted on an adjw cently lying rewinding gear 8, the pawl 7 being maintained in engagement with the ratchet wheel 6 by means of a backing spring 9. The arrangement. is such that when the shaft 3 is turned in one direction by means of the crank 5, said shaft is free to revolve independently of the rewinding gear 8, the pawl 7 dragging over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 6. When motion is imparted to the wheel 8 in a certain direction, however, the pawl 7 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8 and impart rotary motion to the shaft 3.

A spring actuated gear 10 is also mounted loosely on the shaft 3 and for convenience is shown as arranged close to the wheel 8 but adapted to revolve independently thereof.

A driven or countershaft 11 is also journaled in the frame 1 and shown as arranged parallel to the shaft 3. Fast on the shaft 11 is a transmission pinion designated generally at A and comprising a relatively large pinion face 12 and a smaller gear face 13. As the two faces 12 and 13 have a fixed relation to each other, it therefore follows that one of the wheels 8 must revolve at a different speed from the wheel 10.

14 designates a power storing swing of the convolute type similar to t e main spring of clock mechanism, said spring 14 being coiled around the shaft 3 and having its outer extremity fastened to a in 15 on a. sprin housing 16 in the form 0 a hollow cylindrical drum, the same being shown as open at both sides but provided with an inwardly extending radial arm 17 having fixedly related to the end thereof a hub or sleeve 18 which is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 3. By this means the outer extremity of the spring 14 is connected to the shaft 3 so that when the shaft 3 is turned for winding the spring 14, the spring is wound from the outer extremity thereof inwardly.

Where a plurality of springs are used, as in Fi 2, the inner extremity of the spring 14 is astened to the hub or sleeve 18' carried by the arm 17 of an adjacent spring housing 16' to which is fastened in a similar enabling t manner the outer extremity of'a second convolute spring 14. The inner end of this spring is fastened to the hub 18" at the inner end of the arm 17" of a third spring housing 16 and another convolute spring 14: has its outer extremity attached to the housing 16" and its inner extremity secured to the hub or sleeve 18' of the spring actuated gear 10 above referred to.

While I have shown and described three power storing and transmitting springs 14, 14 and 14:", it will be evident that any number of springs may be employed according to the length of time the motor is intended to run. It will also be understood that where only a single spring is employed such as the spring 14, the inner extremity thereof will be connected to the hub or sleeve of the spring actuated gear 10, as in Fig. 1.

Assuming that there is but one spring in the motor, the spring is wound by turning the shaft 3 with the assistance of the hand crank 5. This causes the housing 16 to re volve .and carry around with'it the outer extremity of the spring 14 the inner end of which (in the case of a single spring) is fastened to the hub of the spring actuated gear 10. It will now be evident that if this gear 10 is held stationary, the spring may be fully wound. As soon as the gears 8, 10 and A are released, the spring actuated gear 10 drives against the face 12 of the pinion A thereby imparting the rotary motion to the countershaft 12 and simultaneously causing the gear face 13 of the pinion A to drive the relatively large rewinding fgear 8. The gear 8 through the medium 0 the pawl 7 and ratchet wheel 6 imparts rotary motion to the shaft 3, rotating the latter in the same direction as it was rotated in the original winding operation. Therefore, the shaft 3 again drives the housing 16 in the same direction causing it to operate upon the outer extremity of the spring 14 and rewinding the same. It will, of course, be understood that were the wheels 8 and 10 of the same diameter, the leverage of the spring thereon would be equalized and the motor would not operate. By making the wheel 10 of smaller diameter than the wheel 8, the s ring 14 exerts a greater leverage on the w eel 10 than the wheel 8 can exert on the spring for rewinding the same. The result is that the spring gradually runs down or unwinds but the length of time required to entirely unwind the s ring is greatly increased thereby lie counter or driven shaft 11 to revolve for a greatly increased period of time as compared with the ordinary spring one end of which is anchored to a fixed point. By increasing the number of springs 14 the length of time during which the motor will operate at a given power will be correspondingly increased. By decreasing the diameter of the wheel 10 as compared with the wheel 8, increased power will be generated by the motor and by increasing the diameter of the wheel 10 the length of time during which the motor may continue its operation is ma terially increased.

Any suitable governor mechanism may be used for regulating the speed of rotation of the countershaft 11 from which the power of the motor is delivered and any desired form of brake may be employed for holding the gears stationary while primarily winding the springs of the motor, and for stopping the motor at any time.

The mechanism hereinabove described is simple in character and dispenses with the usual large number of gears required in spring motors to produce a long continuous movement to a driven shaft during the unwindin of the power spring which under the or inary arrangement usually has one extremity thereof fixedly anchored.

I do not desire to be restricted to the specified construction and arran ement herein shown and described as it wi l, of course be apparent that one or more springs may be e nployed as found advisable and each spring may be connected to the two large gears in any manner so long as the same operation hereinabove set forth ensues. The ratio of the gears 8 and 10 may be varied to increase the power of the motor or to increase the period of time during which the motor will operate before it runs down. Furthermore, the gears 8 and 10'may be arranged at opposite sides of the spring or springs instead of both at the same side thereof. It will therefore be understood that the mechanism is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction which may accordingly be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

The spring motor hereinabove described may be applied to various uses such as the running of clocks, watches, mechanical toys, phonographs, timing apparatus, astronomical instruments and various other devices.

To make the motor run for a longer period of time, it will only be necessary to use a stronger s ring and make the gears more nearly of t e same size. If the motor is reuired to operate an exceptional length of time, this may be accomplished by the addition of any desired number of springs arranged side b side on the same shaft as illustrated in ig. 2 and these springs are so arran ed and connected as to act in concert, for t e pur ose of multiplying the total strength oft emotor. I

Having thus described my invention, '1 claim In a spring motor, the combination of a spring windin shaft, a convolute spring encircling said s aft, an arm fastened to said shaft and the outer extremity of said spring attached thereto, a circular spring housing carried by said arm and open at both sides, a spring actuated gear loose on said shaft and having a tubular hub encircled by said 5 spring and having the inner extremity of said spring secured thereto, a spring rewinding gear having a pawl and ratchet engagement with said shaft and of greater diameter than the spring actuated gear, a coun- 10 tershaft parallel to the winding shaft, and a pinion on the last, named shaft having two faces of different diameters meshing with said spring actuated gear and rewmding gear.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature 15 in presence 0 two witnesses.

GEORGE W. CHAMBERLAIN. Witnesses:

PIERCE K. BURNS, GEO. M. MURRAY. 

